Colin's Coffee shares when it will permanently close its doors

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Upper Arlington coffee shop is saying goodbye after over two decades, as a construction crew prepares to demolish the building housing it.

Colin Gawel set up his aptly-named shop -- Colin's Coffee -- within the Golden Bear Center, serving espresso and brewed coffee for over 20 years. Accompanied by the owner's website Pencil Storm, the coffee shop also served as a hub for music, movies and art, allowing Gawel to indulge in his roots as a musician while providing a public service.

Gawel did not say if Colin's Coffee would relocate to another building, but did name Sunday, Aug. 20 as its closing day at the 3714 Riverside Dr. location.

"It has been an unbelievable run," Gawel wrote on Thursday. "However, all things must pass. This is how it should be. I look forward to what the future will bring and the exciting new building that will one day stand where the Golden Bear Center is now."

In his goodbye letter, Gawel referenced the Golden Bear Center's pending destruction to make way for a new shopping center. A revitalization project named the existing Upper Arlington structure as a target for demolition alongside properties like the former Westland Mall in the Hilltop neighborhood and the condemned Woodcliff condominiums in Whitehall. Unlike the other sites, Colin's Coffee and other tenants were still making use of Golden Bear.

Gawel wrote that he looked forward to the revitalization at Golden Bear Center, and also remembered all of the people he met at his coffee shop during its time there.

"Thanks so much to our fabulous staff and loyal customers who have made this such a special place for over two decades," he wrote. "It has been my great honor to serve and meet so many amazing people."